Yemeni Government Offers General Amnesty to Houthi Defectors as Al-Alimi Calls for National Mobilization in First Speech Since Red Sea Coast Loss

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council chair Rashad al-Alimi called on Yemenis on Friday, September 25, 2026, to mobilize and join the Saudi-backed armed forces in a general call to arms, while offering a general amnesty to any Houthi fighter who defects to government forces, according to Al Jazeera, the Jerusalem Post, and the Arab Times. The speech marked the 64th anniversary of the September 26 Revolution and was al-Alimi's first since government forces were routed from the western Red Sea coast by the Houthis.

Al-Alimi announced that anyone who, beginning on the eve of September 26, leaves the Houthis, stops fighting alongside them, or ceases working on their behalf would be covered by the amnesty, which is to be issued later in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures. He said the status of military and security personnel would be addressed in a manner that preserves their legally acquired employment rights. Al-Alimi said the internationally recognized government's objective is clear to everyone both at home and abroad: to restore state institutions and exercise their sovereignty over the entire country, including Sanaa, which the Houthis seized in 2014. Fighting between the government and the Houthis has intensified, most recently near the coast of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. A United Nations panel of experts estimated in 2024 that Houthi fighters numbered around 350,000, bolstered by the recruitment of fighters sometimes aged under 18. Analysts said it is unlikely these fighters will defect to the government side any time soon, but the offer of amnesty might grow more attractive if the Houthis begin to lose ground.

Sources

Sources: Al Jazeera, Jerusalem Post, Arab Times, Yemen Monitor, state-run Saba news agency. Al-Alimi speech published September 25, 2026. Quotes verified across outlets.